Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Frankly, if Republican legislators in Wisconsin oppose a bill, they should vote against it, not tack on an amendment which allow them to pretend to support full access to emergency contraceptives for rape victims when they do no such thing.

This action isn't just politics as usual, this action is cowardly.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said after this morning's 6-4 vote that an amendment tacked on to the bill by Gundrum "guts and nullifies the legislation, allowing rape victims to be further traumatized at the emergency room by not receiving appropriate health care and resulting in more unintended pregnancies which could result in abortions."

The amendment would allow hospitals and health care professionals to refuse to dispense emergency contraception to sexual assault victims if it offends their religious beliefs. It also says such hospitals would be exempt from civil liability if they withhold care from rape victims. Further, the amendment states that this care could be withheld from rape victims even by hospitals that receive federal or state aid.

When it comes to rights, the legislators who voted for this amendment have proved that the civil and religious rights of rape victims are not important since they can be trumped by administrators, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, politicians, voters and just about anyone else.

How is this any different from Jim Crow laws which required blacks to move to the back of the bus when a white person wanted their seat?

The ugly answer is that it is no different except the one who must accommodate other people's wishes has recently been raped.

About Abyss2hope

Abyss2hope is centered on date rape, but isn't limited to discussing crimes which can be described this way since the causes and attitudes related to date rape are interconnected with domestic violence and other types of sexual violence.

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